Improvement in potato-diggers



RICHARD B. B-OBBINS, ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 111,571, dated February?, 1871 antedated January 23,1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ov thesame.

I, RICHARD B. ROBBINS, of Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State ofMichigan, have invented certain Improvements in Potato-Digger, of whichthe following is a specication.

The nature of my invention relates to the novel and simple constructionof a cheap and durable potatodigger, having a shovel-shaped mold-board,by which,- as the machineis drawn along by the horses, the hills areelevated above ground andv broken and thrown down behind upon a pendentshaking-screen, through which the earth is sifted, and the potatoesseparated and laid upon thelground at one side ofthe machine, in a row,ready to be gathered up.

In the drawing- Fignre l is a side elevation of a machine emhodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is aviewfrom a point above, looking down upon the top of themachine.

Figure 3'is a similar view of the pendent shaker'B` when detachedfrom'the rest of the machine.

Figure 4 is one of the two colters, similarly detached.

Figure 5 is a view of the shape of the rear end of the mold-board.

A is the shovel-shaped mold-board, attached to the railings D and D ofthe frame D'D D.

E and E are the -two handles, secured to the railings D D', by which 'togovern and control the machine.

Bis a pendent sieve or shaker, suspended to the frame by the wirependent rods s, s', s, and s, the two front being hooked to the shakerat the lower ends, and at the upper ends to slide up and down throughthe loops on the railings of the machine as the forward end of theshaker rises and falls.

This shaker is operated by pins t t', &c., on the side of the wheel o,striking the cleats m a The mold-board is flange-sided at the rear end,by the elevation of its edges e' o', fig. 5; also the center is elevatedinto a ridge, A', theobject of the-ridge being to break and scatter thehill as far as may be before it is thrown down upon the shaker B.

The forward end of this mold-board is dropped to a level with the bottomof the wheel o.

The pendent shaker B consists mainly ofthe parts a l), elevated sides cand d, and ange f, with outlet H and screen-rods 1, 2, 3, 85e.

A number of fingers, 9 10-11, projectingrearwardly from the share abovethe shaker, assist in breaking the clods and support and carry oft" thevines. One or more of these iingers (10, for instance,) is preferablyattached to the shaker, (sce iig. 1,) so as to bevibrated with it inorder to increase the eiiicienoy of the fender.- The remainder may beattached rigidly to the share. The stationary and vibrating fingers arepreferably made to alternate as in this arraugement.

the wheel o, to support the axle-tree, and is fixed to the f mold-boardA and frame ofthe machine.

rIhis machine isA designed to be drawn along by two horses hitched totheclevis at the front of the machine, similar to a common plow, the driversteadying the machine by holding onto the handles, the wheel o runningin the path made by the lucid-'hoard A.

By turning the horses alternately to the right and then to the left atthe end of the rows the potatoes from two rows are thrown together, thusmaking it easier to gather them up. The colters are made of triangular'form, so that the line of draft shall intersect the line of cutting atauV acute angle, thus preventing the potato-tops and weeds and otherobstructions from-sliding up and clogging against the frame and colter,as is'often the case with the common piowlcolter, havingitslowerpointthrown forward.

I have contemplated using this style of colter on the common plow aswell as on this potato-digger.

I claim as my inventionl. The vibrating screen B, constructed with thelat-4 eral outlet H, in combination with the guard-fingers or fenders 910 1l, arranged and operating as described, as and for the purpose setforth'.

2. T hecombination with' the screen B, suspended by links s s1 s2 s, asdescribed, of the rigid arms or cleats m n, and central tappet-wheel ot, as and for the purpose shown.

3. rIhe fender or guard-fingers 9 10 l1, attached alternately to theshare and vibrating screen, as shown and described, for the purposeshown.

4. The combination and arrangement of the double beam D D D", share A,constructed as shown and described, and colters 7a. h, substantially asset forth.

It. B. ROBBINS.

IVitnesses:

J ULIA M. MULLIKEN, M. E. STEWART.

h is a triangulaiuoolter, sharp on front and rear

